The Best Potato Salad

Potato Salad.  Everyone has a recipe, right?  When I saw this particular one, I was intrigued.  It has a very odd ingredient combination.  I went back and forth about trying it and I almost stuck with one of my more safe recipes.  Well, you know me, I can't resist trying out something new so I went for it.  You know what?  The weird combo works!  It really does!  My husband is not a big fan of potato salad, and even he commented on how good it was.  I know adding pepperoncini's seems weird, but it is absolutely essential.  It really gives the potato salad the extra something that is usually missing.  The black olives I could take or leave.  If you are a fan, add them.  

The Best Potato Salad

6 eggs

10 red potatoes

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/3 cup dill pickle relish

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup pepperoncini 

1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)

Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water; cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the cooled eggs.

Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and refrigerate until cold. Peel and cube once cold.

Stir together the mayonnaise, ranch dressing, relish, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, and celery seed in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, potatoes, onion, pepperoncini, and olives; stir until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Source:  Allrecipes

Beef Noodle Salad Bowls

Finally!  I new recipe!  I have still been cooking and have lots of new recipes to share, I just haven't gotten around to blogging much lately.  It has been a difficult spring.  Our family has lost 2 very close family members and our town has been experiencing some major flooding {and still is}.  We have also been very busy with our kids' activities, as always. 

This recipe for Beef Salad Bowls was a perfect summertime meal.  I made it early in the day and threw it in the fridge.  When we got back home {late} from baseball it was ready to be eaten!  It is meant to be eaten cold {which would be perfect on a hot summer day}.  Unfortunately, we haven't really had any of those yet.  The day we ate this ended up being very cool, therefore I wasn't really in the mood for a a cold meal so I heated mine up.  This is also excellent warm.  My husband did eat his cold and loved it that way too.  I know we will be having this again!  It would also be a fun and different salad to bring to a gathering to share!

Beef Noodle Salad Bowls

1 whole Sirloin Steak, 1 Pound

Kosher Salt To Taste

1 1/8 cups Ponzo Or Regular Soy Sauce

4 1/4 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil

3 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 1/2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil--I couldn't find this anywhere, so I used Sriracha Sauce which worked well

3 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced Finely

1 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger

3 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar

3/4 cups Sliced Green Onion

1 lb. Thin Spaghetti

Cilantro Leaves

Season both sides of the sirloin with salt. Grill on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan until medium rare. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, combine ponzu (or soy), sesame oil, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, hot chili oil, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. Mix to combine, then taste and adjust flavors/seasonings to your taste.

When steak is cool enough, place in a large plastic storage bag. Add 3 tablespoons of dressing. Seal bag tightly and place in fridge until needed.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a bowl. Pour remaining dressing over the top and toss to combine. Finally, toss in green onions. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or until cool. You can make the steak and noodles well in advance of when you want to serve.

To serve, remove steak from storage bag and slice against the grain into thin strips. Drizzle a little ponzu (or soy) over noodles just to give it a little flavor boost, throw in plenty of cilantro leaves, and toss to combine. Serve strips of beef over mound of noodles, or throw it all into a bowl together. Serve with chopsticks if you have them.

Delicious!

Source:  Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Layer Salad

I just can't wait a day longer to post this recipe.  My grandpa K. came for Easter and throughly enjoyed this.  Before he left, I asked if he wanted any of the leftovers and this was the only thing he came out and asked for.  My dad called me a couple days later to let me know he was raving  about it and he wants the recipe, he thinks he would like to live on this salad alone.  So here you go grandpa!

I am sorry for the picture.  You see, I went to 3 different stores looking for a pretty glass triffle dish large enough for this salad and I couldn't find a thing.  I was even willing to go with a large, plain glass bowl and still no luck.  What you see below is the top portion of my cake storage container.  Nice, huh!  As you can see I kept it very  fancy for our Easter dinner!

This layer salad is something that I grew up eating.  My grandma W. (who did not love to cook) made this for pretty much ever special occassion back in the day.  I looooooved it.  I was a stinker though, I remember scraping off the top portion and skipping the lettuce all-together.  Pretty soon, all grandma would have left of her pretty salad was the lettuce!  I was a weird child.  Now, I find I prefer to eat all parts of the salad.  

Layer Salad

SALAD:

1-2 heads Iceberg Lettuce, Chopped (I only used one)

8 ounces, fluid Baby Spinach, Washed And Dried

Salt And Pepper, to taste

8 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped

16 ounces, weight Bacon, Cooked And Chopped

4 whole Tomatoes, Chopped

1 bunch Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

8 ounces, weight Cheddar Cheese, Grated

1 bag (10 Ounce) Frozen Peas, Partially Thawed

FOR THE DRESSING:

3/4 cups (Real) Mayonnaise

3/4 cups Sour Cream

1 1/2 Tablespoon Sugar (more To Taste)

In a clear glass bowl, layer salad ingredients in the order they appear above, concentrating ingredients around the perimeter of the bowl and filling in the center with lettuce, if needed. End with the layer of peas.

Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour over the top of the peas and spread to cover, bringing dressing all the way out to the edges of the bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Toss just before serving.

Source: adapted from Pioneer Woman

Warm German Potato Salad

This recipe for Warm German Potato Salad makes a fantastic year round side-dish.  We had it this week with grilled brats and sauerkraut (homemade and canned my my MIL YUM!) but it would also be just as fantastic with a pork roast in the dead of winter.  

This is not the type of German Potato Salad that I grew up with, my grandma made a version that is also delicious, but it is quite different.  I do think I prefer this salad warm, but my grandma's cold.  

Warm German Potato Salad

3 lbs. small (2 inch diameter) red boiling potatoes, peeled if desired

10 bacon slices (1/2 lb.), cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

3/4 c. beef stock or store-bought broth

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

Garnish with additional parsley (optional)

Combine potatoes with cold salted water (1 Tbsp. salt per every 4 Qts. water) to cover by 1 inch in a 6 Qt. pot, bring to a simmer, and simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.  Set skillet aside.

Drain potatoes.  When just cool enough to handle, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Transfer to a large bowl, add bacon, and cover to keep warm.

Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. fat from skillet.  Add onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, and stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Add onion mixture to potatoes, along with parsley, remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar, salt, and pepper, and toss gently.

Serve potato salad warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with additional parsley, if desired.

Source: The Gourmet Cookbook

Tortellini Salad

I just can't wait any longer.  I must post the recipe for one of my new favorite summertime pasta salads that my entire family loved.  It is even healthy!  I know, I know, you are very welcome.  This is another one from my Cooking Light Five Star Recipes cookbook that cannot be found ANYWHERE on the web.  I am kind of feeling like I have some very important secrets to share with you from this awesome cookbook.    

This salad is also just gorgeous, don't you think?

Tortellini Salad

9 oz. package fresh cheese tortellini, uncooked (I usually buy the frozen variety which also do work just fine)

2 c. (2-in) julienne-sliced zucchini

1 c. cherry tomato halves

1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper

1/3 c. sliced green onions

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. fat-free red wine vinaigrette (I couldn't find anything but regular at my crappy Walmart, so that is what I had to use)

1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dillweed (I used about 1 tsp. of dried)

1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook tortellini in boiling water 6 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain.  Rinse under cold running water, and drain well.  Combine tortellini, zucchini, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine vinaigrette, dillweed, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; stir well.  Pour over tortellini mixture; toss gently.

Makes 6- 1 c. servings

Sweet Restaurant Slaw

Because I am utterly sick of carpet shampooing and want an excuse for a break while I drink my diet coke, I am going to post a second recipe today.  Why am I carpet shampooing, you ask?  Well, that would be because my daughter got her hands on some tempera paints and COVERED her bedroom carpet in it.  I have a home shampooer, but after about 1/2 hour of shampooing I ran and rented a more powerful one.  2 1/2 hours later, I can say that it looks much better, but I still have a long way to go on getting it out.  I am thinking I won't be totally getting it out, not with her white carpet:(  In the grand scheme of things, it IS just carpet.  I guess we will just live with our imperfect, spotted carpet (this isn't the first mishap) and replace it when the kids are a bit older and less...accident prone/destructive.

I love a good coleslaw, especially in the summer.  I haven't found one the rest of my family really enjoys.  That is until this one.  Everyone loved it and even wanted seconds.  I didn't even get any leftovers the next day!

Sweet Restaurant Slaw

16 oz. bag coleslaw mix

1/4 thinly sliced red onion

2/3 c. Light Miracle Whip

3 Tbsp. Canola Oil

1/2 c. white sugar

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl.

Whisk together the Miracle Whip, oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend throughly.  

Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw and toss to coat.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.